Clippers 97, Heat 96

November 30, 2008|Posted by Ira Winderman at 1:07 AM

Observations from Saturday's 97-96 loss to the Clippers at Staples Center:

Dwyane Wade couldn't have done any more for the Heat. When's the last time you saw someone force a turnover on an inbound pass, like Wade did in the final seven seconds? Wade's night: 26 points, 11 assists, six rebounds. But one shot shy. Joel Anthony again started; Michael Beasley again played off the bench. Beasley missed his first three shots Saturday, after Friday's 0 for 5. Beasley said Friday in Phoenix was the first time he ever had played off the bench at any level. He then made his next three shots, and continued to hit the boards, something he did even amid Friday's scoring shutout. The difference with Beasley playing as a reserve is he finds himself on the floor alongside the likes of Daequan Cook, Jamaal Magloire, Chris Quinn and Yakhouba Diawara. In other words, it's not as if he's taking shots away from someone else. Video replay during a timeout late in the second quarter did not overrule what had been judged a Beasley 3-pointer. The referees determined there was inconclusive evidence. Beasley scored 17 points in the second quarter, his highest-scoring quarter of the season. It was two points off the franchise record for points in a second quarter, shared by Tim Hardaway and Sherman Douglas. Chris Kaman (foot) was out for the Clippers. When you looked at the remaining rosters, this was a game the Heat should have won. Shawn Marion was ghastly. It's like he wasn't even there, save for the occasional rebound. It's amazing that this is the building that creates so much buzz when the Lakers are playing. Staples Center was dead Saturday night, with surprisingly limited amounts of plastic surgery. The 3-point stroking continued for Wade, who now has converted at least one 3-pointer in five of the past six games. The infatuation seemingly is to the point that Wade bypassed a last-second heave at the close of the first quarter, lest he hurt that 3-point percentage. The dunks, though, again remained the highlight of the Wade experience. Still, this again was the case of the rest of the team looking to Wade for a bailout. The Heat tried Diawara as a Baron Davis stopper. Uh, that didn't work very well. Shaun Livingston was inactive, in his first game back to Staples Center since leaving the Clippers. Was there that much of a need to dress Marcus Banks, instead of affording Livingston the I-told-you-so moment of being in uniform against the team that renounced his rights in the offseason? It would have been a nice step in Livingston's battle back from such a devastating knee injury. Instead, Shaun remained in the locker room.